Squash: Joyce determined to finish the job off well

BIRMINGHAM - New Zealand squash player Leilani Joyce yesterday declared herself "50 per cent there" in the defence of her British Open title.

Joyce beat English fourth seed Linda Charman 10-8, 9-0, 9-4 in a 34-minute semifinal in Birmingham.

"I still have the main part of the job to do, but I set myself to at least reach the final in search of a second win in this event," she said.

Joyce will meet England's Sue Wright, who became the first qualifier to reach a British Open final when she beat third seed Carol Owens, of Australia, 10-9, 9-5, 3-9, 9-5.

Joyce has been on court for less than two hours in total. She saw her quarter-final against the experienced Suzanne Horner as her big early test. She dealt with that 9-4, 9-2, 9-1 in 31 minutes.

Yesterday, Joyce started nervously, allowing Charman to establish a 7-3 lead in the opening game. But eight clinical rallies in a row ended that, and she polished off the other two games.

In the men's competition, David Evans, of Wales, and Paul Price, of Australia, will contest the most surprising British Open men's final after the greatest week of upsets in the tournament's 70-year history.

- NZPA